Delco residents and officials heartsick at Penn State report

Penn State University President Rodney Erickson, center, speaks with other board of trustees members Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, left, and Chairman Karen Peetz as they field questions from the media about the finding of the Freeh Report in Scranton, Pa., Thursday, July 12, 2012. The alleged cover-up by Joe Paterno, then-university President Graham Spanier and two other Penn State administrators allowed Jerry Sandusky to prey sexually on boys for years, said the report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who was hired by the university's trustees to investigate. (AP Photo/The Times-Tribune, Jake Danna Stevens)

Local residents and officials said they were saddened by the findings of an internal investigation released Thursday that showed top Penn State officials hushed up child sex abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky for fear of bad publicity.

"I think the whole issue is the university knew of it and let it go on," said Norwood resident Keith Bowman outside of the Springfield Library. "I think child abuse is one of the worst things that can happen. And to continue to let it happen with any knowledge (university officials) had is despicable."

The 267-page report released Thursday is the result of an eight-month inquiry by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who was hired by university trustees weeks after Sandusky was arrested in November to look into what has become one of sports' biggest scandals.

Fahim Jan, a rising freshman at Penn State Brandywine in Middletown, described the results of the report as frustrating.

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"If (university officials) had simply given the truth, all this madness wouldn't have happened," he said.

Jan, an engineering major from Downingtown, added that he was saddened by Paterno's death.

"I was a huge fan of Joe Paterno -- he really was Penn State football. It's never going to be the same without him."

Nether Providence resident Makeda Redmond said when news of the scandal was made public months ago, everyone tried to defend Penn State's reputation.

"I'm happy the truth is out," she said.

John Gallagher of Drexel Hill, president of the Penn State Alumni Chapter of Delaware County, said he believes the results of the report have shown "once again that absolute power corrupts."

"You can't have a small number of people ... making decisions without any accountability," he said. "I think the (alumni) membership is a little heartbroken based on the fact (Paterno) was more involved than we had hoped, but we feel the Freeh commission has done a great job and should be commended for that."

Gallagher added that the board of trustees should be acknowledged for the "independence they gave the Freeh commission to show facts as they are."

Gallagher said that instead of focusing on Paterno, the focus should be on the child abuse victims and the university's efforts to fix the system. He also believes Paterno will be remembered for everything he did for the university "not just this."

"We certainly appreciate such a thorough report," said Patricia Kosinski, executive director of Family Support Line, a nonprofit agency in Media that helps children, families and professionals address the trauma of child sexual abuse. "It was both sad and disturbing to have the facts laid out like this."

Kosinski said she doesn't believe the findings are "necessarily unusual because we don't train people about how to respond" to child sexual abuse.

She credited legislators for passing Senate Bill 449, which amends the Public School Code to provide for child abuse recognition and reporting training. Gov. Tom Corbett signed the bill into law earlier this month.

Legislators said the report is a sign that more needs to be done.

"The report reinforces my belief that state law must be improved to better protect our children from such horrifying attacks," state Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-9, of Chester, said in a prepared statement. "We will do everything in our power to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again in our commonwealth."

Pileggi said the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection, created by the General Assembly in December 2011, is conducting a comprehensive review of all state laws and procedures governing child protection and child abuse reporting in Pennsylvania.

"The details of this report are incredibly disturbing, particularly the inaction of university officials to report the abuse allegations," said U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, in a prepared statement. "Had they acted, subsequent abuses perhaps could have been prevented."

Meehan said the report demonstrates why reforms are needed to strengthen the Clery Act. He introduced the Protecting Victims on Campus Act of 2012, which seeks to reform and strengthen safety protections on college campuses and end institutional cover-ups by requiring schools to report violent crimes to law enforcement.